Music of Turkey and Music of Korea

Performers

Professor Münir Beken

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Münir Beken is a composer, performer, conductor, and scholar. He has created a variety of compositions, including chamber music, symphonies, concertos, ballet and movie scores, which have earned him multiple awards. His Triple Concerto, featuring renowned violinist Shlomo Mintz, was particularly notable. Carnegie Hall hosted the world premiere of his Blue Monologue. The Czech Philharmonic Orchestra recorded his piece “I Am a Corpse” for violin and orchestra. Los Angeles-based Pacific Serenades commissioned his work Memories of a Shoehorn and the Issa Sonus Chamber Music Ensemble dedicated an entire album to his compositions. The Bayerische Kammerphilharmonie Orchestra in Munich performed the world premiere of his piece Memorias Liminal. His music has been published by Isuku Verlag in Germany, Pacific Serenades in the USA, and Amplitude Music in France. Recently, Neal Stulberg conducted the Los Angeles Chamber Philharmonic in Beken’s chamber orchestral compositions, which include the Double Concerto for two Violins and Orchestra: Conflict Resolution, Waiting for Godot, Morning on the Other Side, and Memorias Liminal. Beken is a member of ASCAP. In addition to his role as a conductor of the Siena Chamber Orchestra in New York, he was also a founding member of the State Turkish Music Ensemble in Istanbul. As a soloist on the ud, a stringed instrument, he recorded a solo CD with Rounder Records and performed concerts throughout the United States. Beken’s scholarly work focuses on modal theory, musical globalization, and the phenomenology of music. He has authored articles for The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians and other scholarly publications. Currently, Beken serves as the chair of the Faculty Executive Committee, a professor of world music theory and composition, and the director of the Music of Turkey Ensemble at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA).

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Professor Gamin Kang

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Gamin Kang is a Korean-born multi-instrumentalist who specializes in traditional Korean wind instruments known as the piri (double-reed Korean oboe), taepyongso (double-reed horn), and saenghwang (mouth organ). She tours the world performing traditional Korean music and engages in numerous cross-disciplinary collaborations. She holds a doctorate in Korean traditional music from Seoul National University and she is a designated Yisuja, official holder of South Korea’s Important Intangible Cultural Asset No. 46.

 

From 2000 to 2010, Dr. Kang was the principal piri player at the National Gugak Orchestra in Seoul. Since moving to the United States, Kang has received several cultural exchange program grants and fellowships. She was an Artist-in-Residence at the Asian Cultural Council and a Visiting Scholar at the University of Pennsylvania in 2018. Her book on piri techniques was awarded the Art Research Award from Seoul Arts Council in 2016. Dr. Kang has collaborated in cross-cultural improvisation with world-acclaimed musicians and she has premiered new compositions at venues such as Roulette Theater, The New School, and the Metropolitan Museum. She was a featured artist at the Silkroad concert in Seoul (2018), performing on stage with the founder, Yo-Yo Ma.

 

Since 2018, Dr. Kang has curated performances at the Center for Remembering and Sharing in New York City. In 2020, Kang was selected as an Artist-in-Residence at the HERE Arts Center, NYC, and her album “Nong” was released by Innova Records. Her Carnegie Hall solo début, accompanied by Nangye Gugak Orchestra, was scheduled for March 2020, but was postponed due to the pandemic. In 2021-2022, Gamin Kang was awarded the prestigious two year Jerome Hill Foundation Artist Fellowship.

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Repertoire

Music of Turkey Ensemble
May 17 2024 Concert Notes, prepared by Münir Beken:

 

Performers:
Münir Beken (ud-voice)
Choon Hwee Koh (darbuka)
Mikey Aboutboul (ney-cümbüs)
Galilea Barrera (voice)
Danyal Beken (cello)
Suzan Beken (voice)
Cooper Grove Burdick (voice)
Lily Isabella Callaghan (voice)
John Maxwell Gaily (bendir)
Sevginaz Gurleyici (lavta)
Stephanie Hyunsoo Choi (voice)
Alyssa Kurt (voice)
Ruby Tekori Lim-Moreno (ud)
Ian Price (bendir)
Nathan Z Puopolo (double bass)
Christopher Ramsey (kanun)
Aden Tezolmez (voice)

 

Program:
Ottoman Court Music
Taksim (solo improvisation) Münir Beken
Rast Nakıs Beste “Amed nesim-i subhu dem” (by Abdülkadir Meragi 1360-1435)
Rast Yürük Semai “Gelse o suh meclise” (by Hafız Post 1630?-1694)
Rast Şarkı “Yine bir gül nihal” (by İsmail Dede Efendi 1778-1846)
Rast Şarkı “Nihansın dideden” (by Hacı Faik Bey 1831-1891)

 

Sufi Ritual Music
Uşşak Nefes “Ben melamet hırkasını kendim giydim eğnime” (Anonymous, lyrics by Nesimi 1369-1418)
Müşterek Taksim (joint improvisation)
Ferahfeza Son Pesrev
Ferahfeza Son Yürük Semai

 

Urban Songs
Müşterek Taksim (joint improvisation)
Nihavend Türkü “Üsküdara gider iken” (Anonymous)
Sehnaz Buselik Şarkı “Yolun bulamam” (by Denizlioğlu Ali Bey ?-1860)
Nihavend Şarkı “Hatırla sevgili o mesut geceyi” (by Muhlis Sabahattin Ezgi 1889-1947)
Rast Kanto “Darıldınmı cicim bana” (Anonymous from Istanbul)

 

Music of Korea Ensemble

(Director, Gamin Kang)

 

This performance promotes the musical heritage of Korea by presenting traditional performing arts that came from a long history of shamanic ritual through agricultural society. Korean Music Ensemble is led by an engaging multi-instrumentalist Dr. Gamin Kang.

 

Dr. Gamin Kang, and Student performers will present techniques on multiple Korean instruments, such as danso (bamboo flute), piri (small double reed oboe), janggu (hourglass drum), and gayageum (12 string zither). The program includes folk songs from various regions of Korea, farmer’s music, and ritualistic performance.

 

 

 

Samulnori

Kkwaenggari (small metal gong), janggo (hourglass drum), buk (barrel drum), jing (brass gong)

Kkwanggari by gamin

Janggo by LEONG, LAURYN N / CHOI, CONNOR MINGYU / DEL REAL, JUAN MANUEL / DEFRANCE, FIONA YOUNG / LIN, XIAO CHRISTINA / PARK, MINJOO / YOON, MELODY MAY

Buk by VERAYO, DERRIC RUSSEL / PARK, SUHEON / TRAN, THUYEN BICH

Jing by KIM, REINA

Jeongseon Arirang, Hanobaeknyeon & Gangwondo Arirang for piri (double-reed bamboo oboe)

 

Piri by O’SULLIVAN, RYAN GREENWOOD  / DEL REAL, JUAN MANUEL / VERAYO, DERRIC RUSSEL / KANG, GAMIN

 

 

Arirang for Gayageum (12 string zither)

Arirang, Milyang Arirang, Jindo Arirang

Gayageum by CARRAHER, CASSANDRA MARIE  / CASTILLO, DARIEN ALEXIS  / DEFRANCE, FIONA YOUNG  / LEE, HYERIN  / SHIN, HYOJI / ST GERARD, ROMAN LEE  / TRAN, THUYEN BICH / YOON, MELODY MAY / PARK, MINJOO / SOHN, CHRISTOPHER / LEE, JUNGHWA

 

Folk Song Medley for Danso (bamboo flute) & Gayageum

Arirang, Doraji, Nilliliya, Kyung Bok Gung Taryeong

Danso by LEONG, LAURYN N / CHOI, CONNOR MINGYU / LIN, XIAO CHRISTINA /PARK, SUHEON / SOHN, CHRISTOPHER

Gayageum by VERAYO, DERRIC RUSSEL / KIM, REINA / CASCIATO, JORDAN ELISE

Janggo by gamin

 

Pan-Gut

Kkwaenggari (small metal gong), janggo (hourglass drum), buk (barrel drum), jing (brass gong), taepyungso (double-reed shawn), sangmo (folk arts hat)

Kkwanggari by JJ

Janggo by SOHN, CHRISTOPHER / SHIN, HYOJI / CASTILLO, DARIEN ALEXIS / LEE, HYERIN / SHIN, ELAINE

Buk by CARRAHER, CASSANDRA MARIE / O’SULLIVAN, RYAN GREENWOOD / ST GERARD, ROMAN LEE

Jing by CASCIATO, JORDAN ELISE

Sangmo by LEE, KYUNG AH

Taepyungso by gamin

 

Program Notes

 

Samulnori

“Four things play”, samulnori is a modernized, urbanized stage production based on rhythms of farmers’ band music, pungmul, and gut, shaman ritual, of various regions of Korea. Korean samulnori features the dynamic interplay of four percussion instruments known as the janggo (hourglass drum), buk (barrel drum), jing (large gong), and kkwaenggwari (small gong). Samulnori is a neo-traditional percussion genre that was first performed in 1978 in Seoul. The genre draws its roots from a much older musical tradition known as p’ungmul, which was associated with village rituals and agrarian life in Korea for many centuries.

 

Hanobaeknyeon & Gangwondo Arirang for piri

Jeongseon (Jeongseon-gun) is a county in the province of Gangwon-do, South Korea. It is famous as the hometown of “Jeongseon Arirang,” a traditional Korean folksong. All three folk  songs came from Gangwon-do, a mountainous, forested province in northeast South Korea. Hanobaeknyeon means five hundred years.

 

Arirang for Gayageum : Arirang, Milyang Arirang, Jindo Arirang

“Arirang” is a song of love and longing, and has been sung across the lands of Korea through the passing of thousands of years. The most representative of Korea’s original folk music, it has been recreated through various different musical interpretations (Tori) in each of Korea’s diverse local regions. Today this ensemble will play 3 different versions from Seoul, Milyang, and Jindo.

 

Folk Song Medley for Danso (bamboo flute) & Gayageum : Arirang, Doraji, Nilliliya, Kyung Bok-gung Taryeong,

Regional folk songs from seoul, gyeonggi province, Gyeonggi minyo (folk song) generally uses anhemitonic pentatonic scales and is sung with a clear, lyrical vocal quality. Typically, the songs are set to a regular and repeating 12-beat rhythm cycle, such as the moderately paced semachi, slightly faster dance-like pattern gutgeori, or jajinmori.

 

Pan-Gut

 

‘Pan’ means stage, and ‘gut’ is a representation of a ritual. When Pan and Gul meet, rhythmic dancing and the sounds made naturally harmonize. It is a popular performing art derived from communal rites and rustic entertainments. It has evolved into a representative performing art of Korea, combining a percussion ensemble and sometimes wind instruments, parading, dancing, drama and acrobatic feats.

 

Student performers

 

CARRAHER, CASSANDRA MARIE (gayageum, buk)

CASTILLO, DARIEN ALEXIS (gayageum, janggo)

DEFRANCE, FIONA YOUNG (gayageum, janggo)

LEE, HYERIN (gayageum, janggo)

LEONG, LAURYN N (danso, janggo)

O’SULLIVAN, RYAN GREENWOOD (piri, buk)

SHIN, HYOJI (gayageum, janggo)

ST GERARD, ROMAN LEE (gayageum, buk)

TRAN, THUYEN BICH (gayageum, buk)

YOON, MELODY MAY (gayageum, janggo)

CASCIATO, JORDAN ELISE (gayageum, Jing)

CHOI, CONNOR MINGYU (danso, janggo)

DEL REAL, JUAN MANUEL (piri, janggo)

LIN, XIAO CHRISTINA (danso, janggo)

PARK, MINJOO (gayageum, janggo)

PARK, SUHEON (danso, buk)

SOHN, CHRISTOPHER (danso, gayageum, janggo)

VERAYO, DERRIC RUSSEL (gayageum, piri, buk)

KIM, REINA (gayageum, Jing)

 

  • Guest performers

Junghwa Lee, gayageum

Kyung Ah Lee, sangmo performance

 

  • Community members

Elaine Shin, janggo

Jard Hsu, kkwanggari

 

  • Our Supporters

 

UCLA Center for Korean Studies (Director Namhee Lee)

Korean Traditional Music Institute of America (President  Mija Kim)

 

  • About the Director, Dr. Gamin Kang

Gamin Kang

  • Music of Korea Ensemble

https://schoolofmusic.ucla.edu/ensembles/music-of-korea-ensemble/

  •  SUPPORT  UCLA Music of Korea

https://giving.ucla.edu/campaign/donate.aspx?fund=61281o